Meeting Susanna, mother from Helsinki - Finland
Living in Helsinki, Susanna is mother to three children as well as a doctoral student working on a thesis about digital transformation and the way it is shaping organizations.
We delight in her romantic and poetic universe! Her home is an absolute dream. Paying attention to each and every detail, she has the fascinating ability of transforming the ordinary into exquisite beauty!
Sitting in her gorgeous living room decorated with flowers and sipping a cup of coffee in a most charming porcelain cup and saucer from Paris, Susanna took time to share her thoughts with us.
WHAT HAS THE LOCKDOWN TAUGHT YOU?
One thing I have enjoyed is the ability to just be.
The situation has forced us to slow down and take it easy. When you cannot really plan much and each day is more or less the same, you have more time to sleep, read and excercise.
It took me a couple of weeks to adapt to the "nothingness", to fully let go of timetables and agendas. Yet once I realized that living means embracing the "here and now", I began to enjoy it!
WHAT ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR?
I am most grateful for my family and my kids. I am happy to be able to enjoy time with them. Especially with my 3 year old Aurora who does not have a care in the world and loves staying at home with me.
I am also lucky to live in a house by the seaside with a garden. Being close to nature is so important, especially during the confinement. It holds such a soothing power over us.
WHAT IS THE FAVORITE ACTIVITY/CRAFT YOU HAVE SHARED WITH YOUR CHILDREN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE LOCKDOWN?
I love baking. Some meditate, I bake. Not complicated recipes, but comfort pastries such as cupcakes, brownies, muffins, cinnamon rolls and the likes.
I have never been very good at involving my kids in the kitchen as it necessarily implies a lot of mess! But since the start of this lockdown, I have made an effort to let them take part. My youngest child loves nothing more than breaking the eggs open, stirring the dry ingredients, and of course eating a little batter in the process. A good way to spend time together!
CAN YOU SHARE A FAVORITE RECIPE FROM YOUR COUNTRY?
I am from Scandinavia and the recipes here consist of quite simple yet wholesome dishes. Soups, casseroles and a lot of fish.
My absolute favourite dish is the salmon soup usually eaten with ryebread. It is made of salmon, leek and onions, potatoes and dill. Once cooked, it is served with fish stock, whole milk, cream and a big dollop of butter.
Everyone has their own version of it. My husband’s one is the best. He has never revealed the full recipe, but I know that he tweaks the soup by adding tomato puree, spices, sour cream and shrimp or crayfish!
WHICH INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS INSPIRE YOU THE MOST AT THE MOMENT?
@_liviaastrid has the most beautiful table settings and embodies classic style at its best.
@olympia_grace has such a chic and feminine essence that can be felt through her daily life in Singapore.
@lattemammanblogi is a place to visit for everything sweet and cute, in particular for little girls. A great account for recipes and pretty interior decor too.
@piakorpia is the coolest (and prettiest) face yoga instructor with a great sense of humour!
@tzinzi shares her family life in the beautiful English countryside. Her Easter egg hunts are the most magical in the world.
@aerin makes me dream of New York city, one of my favorite cities in the world!
@allthingsvictoria's daughters have little girls’ wardrobes to die for!
And my absolute favourite: @victoriabeckham !!! She is so much fun to follow and I love watching the Beckham’s living the lockdown. David’s cooking is the best!
Would you like to add anything? A quote perhaps?
There are so many great quotes I could share and which I try to live by! So many different sources of inspiration ranging from Audrey Hepburn, to Coco Chanel, Warren Buffet and even Winnie the Pooh.
To me the essence of life lies in never ending learning and dreaming!
The following quote from Mark Twain sums up my attitude pretty well:
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
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